Everything You Were Never Taught About Fertility ft. Dr. Lucky Sekhon

In this episode of SHE MD, Mary Alice Haney and Dr. Aliabadi sit down with Dr. Lucky Sekhon, a New York City-based reproductive endocrinologist, fertility expert, and author of The Lucky Egg, for a comprehensive deep dive into fertility, IVF, and the knowledge gap that leaves so many women blindsided in their 30s and 40s. Drawing from years of helping thousands of patients build families and freeze their eggs, Dr. Lucky breaks down the biology of reproduction, the realities of the modern fertility journey, and the questions every woman should be asking long before she's ready to start trying.

The conversation goes deep into the science of egg quality, why human reproduction is naturally inefficient, and how PCOS, endometriosis, and insulin resistance can be quietly undermining fertility for years before anyone catches them. Dr. Lucky and Dr. A walk through the full fertility workup, from ultrasounds and hormone panels to sperm testing, lay out the treatment ladder of tracking, IUI, and IVF, and tackle the differences between egg freezing and embryo freezing. They also bust some of the most persistent myths in fertility, including whether IVF causes cancer, whether birth control hurts long-term fertility, and whether bed rest after embryo transfer makes a difference.

This episode is ultimately about agency and education. As Dr. Lucky puts it, navigating fertility without information is like driving down a freeway without GPS. Whether you're in your 20s and want to understand your reproductive health early, in your 30s and weighing your options, or in your 40s navigating IVF or recurrent loss, this conversation gives you the tools, the science, and the language to advocate for yourself and make informed decisions about one of the most consequential parts of your life.

‍What You'll Learn

• Why human reproduction is naturally inefficient even when everything is working
• What ovarian reserve actually tells you (and what it doesn't)
• Why egg quality matters more than egg quantity
• When fertility actually starts to decline (and why 35 isn't a cliff)
• What you can and can't control about your egg quality
• How PCOS, endometriosis, and insulin resistance silently affect fertility
• Why every woman in her 20s should get a baseline pelvic ultrasound
• The full fertility workup explained: ultrasound, AMH, hormone panel, tube test, and sperm analysis
• When to track ovulation, when to seek help, and when to skip straight to IVF
• The difference between IUI ("speed dating for the reproductive tract") and IVF
• How embryo genetic testing has revolutionized success rates
• Egg freezing vs. embryo freezing and the real tradeoffs of each
• The truth about autoimmune conditions and infertility
• Why men have a biological clock too and why sperm freezing is underrated
• Myth-busting on IVF and cancer, bed rest, birth control, and "using up your eggs"

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Key Timestamps

00:00 Meet Dr. Lucky & The Lucky Egg

07:14 Why Human Reproduction Is Inefficient By Design

09:48 You're Born With All Your Eggs: The Basics

14:03 When Does Fertility Actually Start to Decline?

15:45 Can You Protect Your Egg Quality?

19:09 PCOS, Insulin Resistance & Fertility

22:29 Why PCOS & Endometriosis Get Missed So Often

29:47 Why Every Woman Needs a Baseline Pelvic Ultrasound

32:22 The Four Components of Getting Pregnant

41:56 How to Track Ovulation the Right Way

47:55 IUI vs. IVF: When to Move On

59:15 Egg Freezing vs. Embryo Freezing: The Real Difference

1:04:47 Does IVF Cause Cancer? Myth Busted

1:11:03 Men Have a Biological Clock Too

1:13:42 Does Birth Control Cause Infertility? Myth Busted

1:16:47 Where to Find Dr. Lucky & The Lucky Egg

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Key Takeaways

• Fertility is on a continuum, not a cliff at 35
• Egg quality matters more than egg quantity
• Human reproduction is naturally inefficient, persistence is part of the design
• PCOS, endometriosis & insulin resistance are the most-missed causes of infertility
• Every woman in her 20s should know her baseline pelvic anatomy
• Standard of care is often the bare minimum, not the gold standard
• Sperm testing is cheap, easy, and skipped far too often
• "Unexplained infertility" usually has an explanation
• 50% of fertility cases involve a male factor
• Track ovulation from the start, don't wait six months to learn your cycle
• IVF does not cause cancer or use up your eggs
• Egg freezing preserves potential, embryo freezing preserves certainty
• Men have a biological clock too, just a different one
• Information is the most underrated fertility tool a woman has

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